If You Can't Trust Me, Who Can You Trust?
by RyanRendan
Summary: After Naruto steals the forbidden scroll, he's almost killed by Mizuki. A new ninja arrives just in time to save his life and train him, regardless of wether Naruto wants him to or not. Female Kyuubi. Rated T for text/language OC
1. So close

The (#)s are things I wanted to explain, or thought needed explanations and are at the bottom.

--

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

--

"U!" --Human Speech

_'Zi!'_ --Human Thinking

_**'Ma!' **--_Demon Thinking

"**Ki!"** --Demon Speech

Naruto Rendan --Jutsu

--

Leaves faintly rustled as a shaded figure dashed from branch to branch across the forest bordering Konoha. Barely making a sound, he landed just before the gate.

"Halt." commanded the guard. "State your purpose."

"I'm here for a meeting with the Hokage." the stranger said, lifting his head to show the tattered leaf headband he wore. He had a gray hooded sweater that hid his face but the headband glinted in the light.

Walking over to the guard, the visitor slowly pulled out a pass and handed it to him.

"Very well." the guard said after looking it over. "You may pass."

The stranger nodded his head before retrieving his pass and walking into Konoha._ 'Well Hokage-sama, I'm here.'_

--

"...to."

"_Naruto._"

"**Naruto! Wake up!**" Iruka yelled at his favorite student. "How many times have I told you not to fall asleep?"

"I wasn't asleep Iruka-sensei... I was just thinking really hard." Naruto answered with a cheeky, yet sleepy grin.

"Oh really? About what, exactly?"

"What being a ninja is all about. I'm goin' to be Hokage one day. Then I'll show everyone that Naruto Uzumaki is the best of the best!" Naruto said loudly. "But first I have to take that stupid test..."

"As long as you try your best, I know you'll graduate." Iruka said with a kind smile. "But I don't think falling asleep **the day before graduation**, is a very good idea. Being in the back of the class doesn't exactly help your chances of passing this time either." Iruka said with a stern face.

"Oh yeah? Well... don't you have a class to teach?" Naruto said getting agitated.

"It's already over, Naruto. You'd know that if you payed half as much attention in class as you paid for your ramen bill." Iruka finished before Naruto left the nearly empty classroom.

_'What am I supposed to train on for the rest of the day?'_ Naruto thought to himself as he headed home. "I know! I'll make some ramen and do some exercising at home. Maybe practice my taijustu."

--

The new ninja walked throughout the long hallways of the Hokage Tower, before finally finding the Hokage's office. "Come in." he heard after knocking on the door.

"Hokage-sama." The mysterious ninja said as he entered the office. "I'm here." he stated before taking a seat and staring at the Hokage.

"You never were one to waste time chit-chatting, were you, Rayn-kun?" Sarutobi asked. "If you want to start now, I can give you Naruto's address." he offered kindly.

"That won't be necessary." Rayn said as he stood up and brushed off his pants. "I've already located him." he said as he left the Hokage's office with a small puff of smoke, heading out to examine the one he had heard so much about.

Sarutobi sat at his desk and took a long drag from his pipe. Breathing out, he spoke out-loud to himself. "Ah, Rayn-kun. You were like an apprentice to me." Memories coursed through his head as a nostalgic smile crept onto the Hokage's face.

Rayn caught himself before sneezing as he jumped from one rooftop to the next. _'Naruto Uzumaki, huh? Maybe I'll get to have some fun.'_ Rayn thought to himself, a mischievous smile forming on his face.

--

The next morning, Naruto arrived at the academy building just before the test started. All his classmates were busy talking about what the test might be like; each were trying to talk over the rest. "All right everyone!" Iruka shouted, instantly quieting the room. "As you all know, today is the day you all take the test to become full fledged Leaf ninja."

"This is a very serious thing and we expect each of you to act appropriately." Mizuki said. "Now everyone outside. We'll start with the physical part of the exam." Everyone filed outside while Naruto led the pack, a smug look on his face.

_'I knew it'd be a good idea to workout last night.'_ He thought to himself, not realizing that both Iruka and Mizuki told everyone a summery of what the test was to be like the day before.

"Now everyone line up so we can determine your physical standings." After everyone formed a line, he continued. "Now each of you will do as many push-ups as you can without resting. Mizuki and I will monitor you, making corrections to your stance when needed. Go." he finished as some of the foolish academy students, including Naruto, dropped down and rushed to do as many as possible, as quickly as possible, ending with most of them burning out fast. Luckily, Naruto's stamina proved handy as he was able to keep going long enough to finish with four more than Kiba and only two less than Sasuke.

"Very impressive. I can tell many of you trained hard for this moment." Iruka said, beaming with pride as his students exceeded his expectations. "Now, on to your next test, weapon handling." he continued. "Each of you, one at a time, must use the kunai and shuriken provided, to get as close as you can to each bullseye. Please be careful so that there's no accidents." Iruka said, remembering the last time one of them sneezed while throwing a kunai. _'That poor dog.'_ "Go." he said as the first person in line grabbed the tools from Mizuki.

As Naruto walked up to Mizuki, last in the line, beads of sweat began to form on his forehead. He couldn't remember the last time he practiced accuracy outside of school and was sure he'd miss. _'Let's hope for the best.'_ Naruto thought as he lifted the knife up, his hand slightly shaking. After a gulp he threw the kunai with all he had and pierced the bullseye. "Yes!" he shouted, completely shocking everyone else.

"V-Very good Naruto." Iruka managed to say. He couldn't believe Naruto had done it.

_'He sure has some luck going for him.'_ Rayn thought to himself, hidden among the trees.

"This'll be a piece of cake!" Naruto shouted before he took the rest of the kunai and shuriken and threw them at the target, just as he did the first. They each soared through the air and then clanked together or went askew, only to ended up on the ground. "Oh come on!" Naruto yelled in frustration, the academy kids that had been shocked speechless, had now erupted into laughter.

_'Or not.'_

"Ahem." Iruka coughed loudly. "The next event is the second to last one, the sparring test. Everyone will have a spare with me one on one while Mizuki grades from a different perspective." One by one all the students went up and faced Iruka, all putting up a good fight until only two students were left. "Next, Sasuke Uchiha."

Sasuke walked up to Iruka with the same expressionless face he had everyday. After getting into a stance, Mizuki started the match and Sasuke charged.(1) He met Iruka with a high kick to the face, when he blocked, Sasuke dropped and tried a low sweep kick. Iruka jumped over him and kicked Sasuke in the back. Lifting himself back up he charged again, this time Iruka made a kick and launched Sasuke back a few feet. Running towards him, Iruka noticed Sasuke smirk, but it was too late. He jumped away as he stepped on an exploding tag and was blown further back. He tried to land safely, but twisted his ankle in the process.

"That's enough Sasuke." Iruka said as Mizuki helped him up. "Naruto, you'll have to spar with Mizuki. I'd like to test you myself but can't do that with my ankle twisted like this." he said with a wince.

"Don't worry Iruka-sensei. I'll show you what I can do. I'll kick his butt!" Naruto said.

"Go!" Iruka yelled. Mizuki ran towards Naruto and vice versa as they both closed in on each other. Naruto got ready to punch Mizuki in the face while Mizuki dodged the hit while flipping over Naruto and kicking him in the head. Naruto got back up and ran towards Mizuki, pulling his right arm back in the process. Swinging, Naruto's assault failed as Mizuki grabbed the fist and threw him at a tree. Naruto went down hard as Mizuki got a kunai out, drawing his arm back to throw. "Be careful Mizuki! It's only a spar!" Iruka called out as Mizuki threw the weapon at a dazed Naruto. Inches away from its mark the kunai was deflected by one of its own and struck the ground. Looking up at where the other kunai came from, Mizuki thought he saw a ninja that looked familiar. When he squinted to make sure, all he saw was another empty space on the tree.

_'For a second I thought Rayn was back in town. He would have made my plans much more-'_. Mizuki was interrupted in mid-thought by Iruka talking in a strained whisper, saying. "What was that!? You could have really hurt him!"

"I think I know what I'm doing Iruka." Mizuki said before turning back to the class. "Now finally the last test, ninjustu. Everyone back inside so we can test you all separately, tally up your scores, and see if you passed or not."

--

Naruto entered the grading room last. After messing up on his Bunshin No Jutsu, he wasn't really so sure that he passed the test. _'I did pretty well in the first part but that was about it.'_ he thought to himself. _'Everything else was really crappy. Especially my fight with Mizuki.'_

"Well Naruto, I'm very proud of you." Iruka started.

_'Could this mean I passed?'_ Naruto thought hopefully.

"But I'm sorry to say you didn't pass."(2)

Naruto's shocked face told Iruka everything. Mustering up enough of his voice to talk, Naruto said, "But I tried my best, my hardest, my all! I busted my ass trying to pass!"

"Sometimes that isn't enough." Iruka said to him, not meeting his gaze.

"I can't believe I actually trusted you... You're nothing but a liar!" Naruto yelled at him before turning and running away.

"Naruto, wait!" Iruka yelled, his injury keeping him from going anywhere.

--

Naruto sat alone in his house, staring at the wall. He glared holes at it until a knock at the door alerted him that someone was outside. "Mizuki-sensei? Why are you here?" Naruto asked after being greeted by Mizuki's smiling face.

"Naruto, I know you're depressed about not passing the genin test, but did you know you can still make it?"

"Really!? How!?"

"Just show us your stealth techniques and get the forbidden scroll from the Hokage's office."

"But won't that get me in trouble?" Naruto asked.

"Since this is a test, you'll get in trouble only if you get caught."

"Hmmm..." Naruto said to himself. "That sounds ok. I'll do it!"

"Excellent. At 2:30 in the morning, meet me at these coordinates with the scroll." Mizuki said, handing Naruto a map. "Make sure not to look in the scroll." he said sternly.

"Why not? What's in the scroll?"

"Lots of powerful forbidden jutsu and other secret information. Now get ready for your mission." Mizuki said before he left.

If Naruto could see Mizuki's face, he'd see a sly smile from his plan coming together. If Mizuki could see Naruto's face, he'd see a slight drool coming from his mouth at the prospect of having super cool jutsu in his hands.

--

_-Later that same day_

Naruto darted from tree to tree on his way back from getting the scroll. Looking around the area of the tree he just landed in, Naruto finally realized something. He was lost. "Why did Mizuki give me a map and instructions he knows I can't understand or follow? And what the heck is 'longitude'!?"

--

_'That brat better get here quick. It's already 2:43!'_ Mizuki thought to himself.

--

"I know!" Naruto said after making a plan. "I'll just wait here for Mizuki-sensei." he said after sitting down next to a tree. _'But what will I do to pass the time?'_ Naruto thought to himself. Looking over at the scroll, he started to wonder what kinds of super cool jutsu were hiding inside. _'No. I can't open the scroll.'_ he thought as a gust of wind, courtesy of Rayn, knocked over the scroll, unraveling it. "Well, maybe a peek."

Naruto grinned as he crawled over to the scroll, reading through the information until coming to a jutsu. "Chikatsu Saisei no Jutsu."(3) Naruto read out loud. Looking further, he found a description. "An advanced medical jutsu used to heal wounds. The user's hand begins to glow green as the chakra blah, blah, blah." Naruto yawned. "Who cares about some stupid medic technique anyway? It's not like a medic has ever been Hokage... Besides, when am I ever going to need that?"

Looking again, Naruto found one that looked a little more familiar. "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu? That looks kinda like the Bunshin no Jutsu." he said while glaring at the paper. "I don't want anything to do with that... Wait, what's this?" he asked himself while looking at the description.

"Unlike the normal Bunshin no Jutsu, this jutsu creates not illusions, but real bodies of the user. The clones can help in and outside of battle and disperse if they receive sufficient damage. The user's chakra is evenly distributed among the user and each clone..."

"This sounds pretty cool. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad to learn after all. I'll give it a shot." Naruto said as he read the instructions and readied himself to learn a new jutsu.

--

"Hokage-sama, what's going on? Why are the ANBU members searching the village?" Iruka asked, a deep sense of trouble-to-come had bothered him ever since Naruto stormed out of the academy.

"It appears as though Naruto-kun has stolen the forbidden scroll. You've come at a good time Iruka, I've just located him. You better get there soon though, it appears someone with evil intent is already with him."

"Then I'll go get him as fast as I can. " Iruka said as he hurried out of the Hokage's office after memorizing Naruto's whereabouts.

--

"Whew, I'm exhausted." Naruto said as he finished up his lesson. "Now that I got that jutsu down, maybe I can learn another."

As he reached for the scroll, a kunai pierced the ground next to him, barely missing his hand. "Don't. Touch. That. Scroll." Mizuki growled out.

"Uh, hey... I was just, uh..."

"You were just disobeying my instructions."

"No, I didn't mean to. It was just-"

"Forget about it. Just step aside, and maybe you'll still become a genin."

"...Ok." Naruto mumbled. He looked to the ground as he moved away from the scroll.

"Good." Mizuki said as he reached behind his back and pulled out another kunai. "Now wait right there while I get your headband."

--

Rayn leaned against the tree he was currently on, watching as Iruka came speeding in save Naruto. _'It looks as though he's struggling. This should be good.'_

--

"Naruto!" Iruka shouted as he landed in front of Mizuki. "Why did you steal the scroll!? That's an important item and is of vital importance to the village."

"Wait, what?" Naruto asked, confused by the new information. "Mizuki-sensei said this was all a test; that once I did it, I'd graduate."

--

_Flashback_

"_It appears as though Naruto-kun has stolen the forbidden scroll. You've come at a good time Iruka, I've just located him. You better get there soon though, it appears someone with evil intent is already with him."_

_End Flashback_

"Evil intent..." Iruka said as the truth dawned on him. "Naruto... Get down."

"What?"

"Get down now!" Iruka yelled as he jumped over to Naruto. Spinning in the air, he threw a kunai to block the one Mizuki sent. "Listen to me Naruto. I need you to take the scroll and go back to the village."

"But what about the test?" he asked.

"There never was a test! Mizuki lied to you."

"Oh come on Iruka. You're calling me a liar after you told him he could actually be a ninja? Don't make me laugh."

"What is he talking about?"

"Mizuki, shut up!"

"Why? It's not like he can be more than just a weapon. After all, that's all monsters are good for."

"Hey!" Naruto yelled. "Who are you calling a monster?"

"You, Kyuubi-brat. But I guess you wouldn't know anything about that, huh? Let me update you on your own history."

"That's enough!" Iruka yelled, lunging at Mizuki.

--

_'I should really go help...'_ Rayn thought to himself. Reaching into his weapon pouch, Rayn pulled out a sandwich. _'Nah.'_ he thought as he bit into it.

--

Mizuki kicked and Iruka blocked with his arm. Landing a few feet back, Iruka grimaced as he felt his injury from earlier that day take its toll on his ankle.

"Well, well. It looks like you're still hurt from your fight with our star pupil. What kind of chunin are you?" Mizuki mocked as he stalked over to Iruka.

"Stay back!" Naruto shouted as he stepped in front of Iruka, his hands in a new formation. "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" he yelled as smoke encased the small surface of their battlefield.

"You tried to hurt my teacher and you lied to me." The two Narutos said simultaneously. "For that, I'm gonna kick your a-"

Before Naruto could finish, Mizuki was in front of him. He backhanded the clone, forcing it to poof away, before kicking Naruto directly in the ribs. He doubled over in pain as Mizuki walked back to Iruka. "Now, where was I?"

Iruka ran towards Mizuki and threw a punch. Blocking it, Mizuki sent a low sweep-kick and connected with the injured ankle. Throwing two shuriken, Mizuki struck Iruka in both shoulders.

Naruto slowly got back up before he saw Iruka get punched in the face by Mizuki, blood trailing down his face. "Stop it!" Naruto cried. "Why are you doing this?"

"Why am I doing this? I don't have to tell you a thing. You demon." he said, glaring at Naruto before sending another kick to Iruka's face.

Iruka reacted just in time, grabbing Mizuki's foot and twisting it, causing him to jump back and allowing Iruka to get up. "N-Naruto... run." he said weakly.

"I'm not going to leave you. You're all I've got."

"What do you mean, Naruto?"

"If I leave and then you die, I'll never be able to forgive myself. You were always there if I didn't understand a lesson, if I 'mysteriously lost' my food money, or if I just needed someone to talk to... Without you, I'd be alone."

"That really means a lot to me, Naruto." Iruka said before falling face-first to the ground, a giant shuriken-like object embedded in his back.

"Thanks a lot for distracting him for me, Naruto." Mizuki said with an evil smirk on his face. "I couldn't have done it without you."

"...Iruka-sensei?" Naruto asked, kneeling down next to his teacher. "Please... Answer me... Please!"

"Hey, hey, hey. What's the matter Naruto?" Mizuki asked with no concern.

Naruto stayed hunched over, a lone tear dropping from his face. "N-Naruto. Don't cry." Iruka whispered. "I have a new genin test for you... just make it out of here alive."

Naruto nodded before Iruka closed his eyes once more.

--

_'It's about time something happened.'_ Rayn thought to himself as energy started to swirl around Naruto's body.

--

"You..." Naruto growled out as he stood up. "I'm going to beat you up!"

The lines on Naruto's face grew wider and darker, gaining a fierce tone. His eyes dilated before being tinted with a slight purple accent. Naruto's usually shaggy hair seemed to stand as the energy whipped up a slight dust tornado.

"I'm going to make you regret that." Mizuki said before throwing two kunai at Naruto. He dodged them before rushing Mizuki, throwing a punch that missed its mark. Catching him by the arm, Mizuki hurled Naruto into a tree, denting it in the process. "Is that all you got?" he asked as Naruto forced his body to stand.

"I'm not even warmed up yet." Naruto said with a smirk, before charging at Mizuki again. He threw a barrage of punches, each one deflected by his opponent. Suddenly, Naruto flipped backwards, kicking Mizuki in the chin.

"Why you spastic little punk." Mizuki spat out, cradling his injured jaw. Naruto just smirked back at him. "No more Mr. Nice-Guy." Mizuki said as he charged Naruto. Throwing a punch, he kneed Naruto in the ribcage as he dodge the diversion. Bending over, Naruto was elbowed in the back before receiving a kick to the face on his way down. He was launched head-first into a tree before blacking out. "Stupid kids these days." Mizuki said as he massaged his arms. "They got no respect for authority."

--

_'I may have to get involved.'_ Rayn thought to himself. _'...I'll give 'em about 5 more minutes.'_ Another sandwich was already in his hand.

--

"Where am I?" Naruto mumbled out as he woke up to find himself in what looked like a large prison. "And why is it wet in here?" he asked, surrounded by water reaching up to his calves.

Doing the best thing to do when you find yourself lost,(4) Naruto started to walk around aimlessly. Finally coming to a colossal(5) room, he looked around and found a cage as wide and tall as the room itself. A tiny parchment was on the gate with the kangi for seal on it. "Hello?" Naruto said, checking if anyone was inside.

"**Hello."** said a voice that made Naruto shiver. **"What's a small boy like you, doing in a big place like this?"**

"Actually, I was wondering the same thing."

_'I'm not small... I'm just fun sized.'_

"Could you help me out?" Naruto pleaded.

"**Sure. Just come a little closer."**

"I'm just a little confused right now." Naruto confessed as he stepped even closer to the gate. Huge claws hit the spaces beside him as Naruto froze with fear.

_**'So close.'**_

"**Just a little bit more would be good."**

"Screw that!" Naruto yelled as he ran to what he thought would be a safe zone. "Now, who are you?"

Rustling was heard from the cage as if something was getting in a more comfortable position.**"I'm the one."** the stranger said. **"The one they think they're talking to when they say 'monster' or 'demon'. The one the hatred is truly aimed at."**

_Flashback_

"_Why? It's not like he can be more than just a weapon. After all, that's all monsters are good for."_

"_Why am I doing this? I don't have to tell you a thing. You demon."_

"_You, Kyuubi-brat. But I guess you wouldn't know anything about that, huh? Let me update you on your own history."_

_End Flashback_

"Kyuubi?" Naruto asked with fear in his eyes.

"**Bingo, Kit."** Kyuubi said as it's face was revealed. Huge, sharp teeth and glowing red eyes were all Naruto could see. **"Now come here."**

--

As Mizuki finished raveling the scroll and picking up all his weapons, he was about to leave but looked over and saw Naruto's body twitch. "Oh great, the brat's alive." he said as he pulled one of his kunai out. "Better go finish him."

--

Red smoke surrounded Naruto and slowly dragged him over to the cage. He struggled to get free as he was lifted to Kyuubi's face. "Are you going to eat me?" Naruto asked. "'Cause if you are, just know that I haven't taken a bath yet."

"**Don't worry Naruto, I want to help you."**

"What do you mean by help? How can I trust you?"

"**We'll talk later. Right now, the man that killed Iruka is heading for your body."**

"Mizuki!? What am I going to do?"

"**Take this."** Kyuubi said as the gas engulfed Naruto completely, forming a fox like barrier around him. **"I'll contact you after he's dead."**

--

Mizuki kicked Naruto and watched him topple over. "He's barely hanging on, hmm? I guess this seals the deal." he said before tossing the kunai. Walking away, Mizuki felt air shoot past him as the kunai he just threw, was launched back at him, narrowly missing his neck. "What the-"

"Hey!**"** Naruto growled out. Standing up, Naruto shot Mizuki an icy glare. The flame-like redness of his eyes, contrasted with coldness he was radiating.

"Well look who's back." Mizuki smirked. "What're gonna do now? 'Beat me up' again?" he said with a laugh.

"**No.** **I'm going to kill you.**" Naruto said, his voice a strange mixture of what it normally was, and something different.

Naruto was in front of Mizuki before he even realized that Naruto had moved. A barrage of punches with a quick kick combo left Mizuki in immense pain. Pulling his arm back, Naruto threw it forward and hit Mizuki square in the face, launching him into a tree. Getting up slowly, Mizuki pulled out the same giant shuriken that killed Iruka and threw it at Naruto. Although he easily dodged, Naruto used what looked like a tail made of red liquid to grab, and send back flying, the shuriken.

Mizuki tried to dodge his own weapon, but thanks to what felt like a strange poison in his body, he was struck in the chest. Pinned to a tree, Mizuki hung paralyzed, knowing he couldn't do anything as he slowly died from blood loss and heart failure.

--

_'Very impressive.'_ Rayn thought as he jumped to the ground. _'I guess I'll go congratulate him.'_

--

Naruto slowly lost his newfound power as he lost consciousness. Waking up, back in the room, Naruto walked over to Kyuubi to say his thanks. "Thank you for allowing me to avenge my sensei, Mr. Kyuubi."

The room shook as it was filled with Kyuubi's laughter. **"Mr. Kyuubi, eh? Let me show you something, boy."**

The same smoke as before filled the room, only this time, it wasn't pulling Naruto towards the cage. It slowly built up until Naruto wasn't even able to see the giant bars of the gate. Dispersing all at once, the smoke blew Naruto back, making him land on his head.

"Ow! What was that for?" he complained.

"**Just take a look."** Kyuubi said as it approached the steel bars.

Naruto saw a woman. She was at least a foot taller than he was now. Her skin was pale, yet it held a certain tan-like tone. Her long brown hair swayed with no wind in the room and her toned body almost glowed in the dimly lit place.** "Like what you see?"** she asked as Naruto's jaw dropped.

"Y-Y-Your-"

"**A girl?"** Kyuubi said, trying to help Naruto speak.

"NAKED!"

--

Rayn looked upon Naruto as he twitched slightly. _'He's like a dog in a dream...'_ Rayn thought to himself as Naruto's hands and legs started to move up and down.

--

"**Well what did you expect? It's not like I can buy clothes here."** Kyuubi said, waving a hand around to make her point.

"Just cover up!" Naruto yelled, a heavy blush forming on his face.

Tails that appeared to come from nowhere covered Kyuubi's nude form as she walked closer to Naruto, making sure not to get too close to the gate. **"For a male, you seem pretty shy."**

"Just shut up." Naruto said, still embarrassed. "Look, just tell me where we are, please."

"**We're inside your stomach."**(6) **"Now as for your gratitude, I don't need it. All I want from you, is to take this piece of paper off the cage."** Kyuubi instructed as she pointed to the seal.

"Why should I help you?" Naruto asked. "You're the Kyuubi!"

"**Who's the one that gave you the power to save yourself? Who's the one that helped you avenge your teacher? Without me, you'd be dead."**

"...You're right." Naruto said as he looked down, his bangs covering his eyes. "But how do I know you won't attack the village again? How can I trust you?"

"**...If you can't trust me, who can you trust? Face it, Naruto. Without Iruka, who's going to look out for you?"**

"..."

"**Let's make a deal. You let me out of here, and I'll help you out a little."**

"How?"

"**Well, as you know, I'm the Kyuubi. I have lots of power and I might be willing to share some with you."**

"...Go on." Naruto said as he approached the fox.

"**How did that power feel? Good?"** Kyuubi asked, receiving a nod from Naruto. **"I bet it did. Now how would you like more? Four times as much."**

"That. Would be. Awesome."

"**Indeed. So how about it? Deal?" **she asked, holding out a hand.

"Deal." Naruto said as he reached inside the cage and shook Kyuubi's hand. Naruto was jerked forward, his lips smashing on Kyuubi's as she held him there. "What was that!?" Naruto yelled as he jumped back.

"**Just sealing the deal."** she said with a toothy grin. **"Now, how about you go ahead and-"**

BAM! Kyuubi was interrupted as Naruto disappeared.

"**Mmmm!"** Kyuubi said as she cursed underneath her breath. _**'So close.'**_

--

Naruto awoke to find a man with both Mizuki and Iruka on his shoulders. Looking at him, he could see a Konoha head band on his face. "Who are you?" Naruto asked as he got up.

"Let's go back to Konoha." Rayn said, ignoring Naruto's question. "We have to get these two bodies buried. Nice fight, by the way." Rayn finished before he started walking away.

"Hey!" Naruto yelled angrily. "If you got here in time to see the fight, why didn't you help me!?"

Rayn stopped and turned around. "I've been following you since you failed the graduation exam."

"Then you just sat around watching Iruka-sensei die!?"

"...I ate a sandwich."

"...I'll kill you!" Naruto yelled as he ran towards Rayn. He threw a punch that was easily dodged before getting kicked in the stomach.

"Why are you so mad at me?" Rayn asked innocently.

"B-Because you just watched as my teacher died!" Naruto struggled to say, still in pain.

"It's not my fault he died. After all, I don't know any medical jutsu. Do you?"

--

(1) This is my first time writing fight scenes...

(2) This is technically Naruto's 3rd time failing... Shouldn't he be at least 2 years older than the rest of the genin... and why hasn't Sasuke taken the exams already... like the year before? Why?

(3) This was the only medical technique I could find... so, yeah.

(4) Do not attempt.

(5) Big.

(6) Why do some people think it's the mind? The seal is on the belly, guys.

--

Wham! Bam! Thank you Mam! This is the longest chapter ever written by me... so maybe some reviews are in order. Tell me if you liked it or I need to do something. Later.


	2. Hey, it's that pedophile guy

Sorry for the wait... I'm just doing other stuff right now. Thank you all who reviewed. If you haven't yet, try now! ...After you've read the chapter of course. By the way, who likes the little key down there? I loved making it.

--

**Warning: Mild text/language.**

--

"U!" --Human Speech

_'Zi!'_ --Human Thinking

_**'Ma!' **--_Demon Thinking

"**Ki!"** --Demon Speech

Naruto Rendan --Jutsu

"" also emphasized words.

--

"It's not my fault he died. After all, I don't know any medical jutsu. Do you?"

_'I'm going to kill him.'_ Naruto thought as he stared angrily at the man. "What are you talking about?"

"Like I said, 'It's not my fault he died.'"

"You did nothing while my sensei died!" Naruto yelled, his rage suddenly skyrocketing up.

"As long as you're alive, I've done my job." Rayn said coldly.

"What's that supposed to mean? I just met you."

"Well get used to me, kid." Naruto heard as Rayn hit him in a pressure point before he even realized it. "See ya when you wake up." he heard as the voice faded away.

--

"**Naruto, wake up... Err... I mean open your eyes... I mean..."** Naruto heard as he shook his head and looked over to Kyuubi. **"Great, now come over here."** Kyuubi said.

"Huh?" Naruto mumbled. "How did I get her-" he asked before suddenly remembering what had happened. "Iruka-sensei... he's... he's really..." Naruto trailed off as he slowly stood up. "And I killed Mizuki-sen... I-I killed Mizuki." Kyuubi looked at the boy knowing that she could do nothing while the seal was currently in place.

_**'It won't be good if I can't get him over this...'**_ Kyuubi thought before calling out to him again.

"**Naruto." **she called out softly. **"Come over here."**

--

Rayn sped through the forest as he neared Konoha, easily carrying the three bodies. _'Maybe it wasn't wise to allow him time with the fox... Nah, I'm sure nothing will happen.'_

--

"Kyuubi?" Naruto asked as he slowly walked over to her cage. "What do I do now? Iruka's dead! I killed a guy! Now there's some guy out there doing who knows what!"

"**Naruto, calm down." **Kyuubi consoled. **"You avenged Iruka in self-defense. There's no need to worry about it. The guy you met is taking us toward Konoha, so forget about that."** Kyuubi explained.

"How can I!? Did you see him knock me out? It was like I was nothing to him!" Naruto yelled, clearly frustrated.

"**Why does that bother you so much?"**

"If I was as strong as him, I wouldn't have needed his help at all! Iruka would still be alive!"

"**So... you want more power?"**

Naruto's hair covered his eyes as he looked away, thinking over his answer. "Lots more." he said, a determined look etched into his face.

Kyuubi smirked inside as she thanked Rayn for being Naruto's catalyst. **"Then you know what to do." **she said before motioning to the seal.

"Right." Naruto said with a nod. "So just yank it off?" he asked, receiving a nod in reply. "Ok then. Here I go." he said before literally vanishing.

"**...No... No... NO!"** Kyuubi yelled as a wave of curses erupted from her cage.

--

Naruto was thrown to a chair in the Hokage's room, causing him to wake up right before he could release the seal. Looking around, he saw the Hokage at his desk and Rayn leaning on a wall.(1) "What was that for?" Naruto growled.

"I'm sorry Naruto." the Hokage said. "Rayn-kun was a bit rough, but I'm glad to see you're safe."

"...Rayn-kun?" Naruto repeated. "RAYN-KUN? What the hell old man!? While I was fighting Mizuki, he was eating a friggen sandwich! Iruka DIED because 'Rayn-kun' wouldn't lift a finger to help."

"Excuse me?" Rayn said as he pushed away from the wall and walked over to the desk. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't it your fault Iruka died?"

"How dare you?" Naruto whispered, his eyes burning with rage. "I was the only one that gave a damn about his life out there!"

"As I recall, you learned a technique from the forbidden scroll."

"Don't try and change the subject! I tried to use it to help in the fight."

"Tell me Naruto." Rayn said with a smirk. "Do you think that was the best way to waste time before Mizuki found you?"

"What?"

"I was watching you learn the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu. One that isn't so easily learned... normally."

"What's your point?"

"Instead of learning a combat move that you don't even know how to use properly, was there another move you could've learned?"

"...I don't know what you mean."

"Remember? 'I don't know any medical jutsu. Do you?'"

--

_Flashback_

_Naruto grinned as he crawled over to the scroll, reading through the information until coming to a jutsu. "Chikatsu Saisei no Jutsu." Naruto read out loud. Looking further, he found a description. "An advanced medical jutsu used to heal wounds. The user's hand begins to glow green as the chakra blah, blah, blah." Naruto yawned. "Who cares about some stupid medic technique anyway? It's not like a medic has ever been Hokage... Besides, when am I ever going to need that?"_

_End Flashback_

--

"No." Naruto gasped, a shocked expression written on his face.

"Yes." Rayn said triumphantly. "You didn't care about helping people. You just wanted a 'super cool jutsu'."

"If... If I knew what was gonna happen, I would've learned anything to save Iruka!"

"But it's too late for that. You're so quick to blame me, yet so slow to take responsibility for your own selfish actions."

"That's not true! I would've done anything to help Iruka!"

"Well what can you do now? He's already d-" Rayn was about to finish before flinching and suddenly looking over to the Hokage. "...Forgive me, Hokage-sama." he said before bowing and going back to the wall he was at earlier.

"I'm sorry for that Naruto-kun. You went through a lot and I'm sure you could use some rest." Sarutobi said with a wrinkled smile.

"...Thanks." Naruto said.

"We'll talk about your status as a fresh genin and compensation for stopping Mizuki tomorrow morning."

"Wha?"

"Rayn told me about Iruka's new graduation exam terms and technically, you passed."

"WHA!?"

_'Oh yes, let's forget about aiding a criminal, learning from the forbidden scroll, and the unlawful killing of a Konoha criminal. Let's give him money!'_ Rayn thought bitterly.

"Welcome to Konoha's ranks, Naruto-kun... Naruto-kun?" Sarutobi asked.

"...He fainted from the shock." Rayn said as he examined Naruto. "Wuss."

"Rayn-kun, can you tell me more about what happened in the forest?" Sarutobi asked, his demeanor suddenly changing into a more serious one.

"Yes, Hokage-sama. It appears as though he's come into contact with the Kyuubi."

"...I see." the Hokage said as he sucked on his unlit pipe. "I want you to continue watching over him and report back to me on what happens."

"Understood, Hokage-sama." Rayn said as he lifted Naruto and prepared to leave.

"Oh, and Rayn-kun. About both of the examiners dieing."

--

_-The next morning_

"**Naruto."**

"Kyuubi?" Naruto asked as he woke up with a start. Calming down, he realized he was in his own bed. "Where are you?"

"**I'm still inside the cage."** Kyuubi said, a small amount of anger flowing through her words. **"You fainted from shock yesterday. I didn't bring you back because any more mental stress wouldn't have helped."**

"So... you're not free?"

"**Correct."** Kyuubi said, more anger evident in her words.

"So... Do I do it now?"

"**No. That man is most likely watching from somewhere. If he were to detect anything, he'd stop it just like before." **Kyuubi explained. **_'And I can __not__ have freedom dangled in front of me and snatched away... __Not__ again.'_**

"So Kyu-"

"**Naruto! Did you hear what I just said?"** Kyuubi scolded. **"Rayn could be watching! If you need to contact me, just think."**

_'...Like this?'_

"**Precisely."**

_'Ok... So what now?'_

"**Do what you'd normally do."**

"...What was it I was supposed to do today?"Naruto asked out loud, more to himself than to Kyuubi. "Oh! I need to go to the academy... I have to get my headband and a team... I need to get my headband..." he said again. Tears welled up in Naruto's eyes as he thought about his former sensei. "Thank you, Iruka-sensei." he said as he unconsciously clenched a fist.

"...Don't forget to meet with the Hokage before that." Rayn said from a hidden location, breaking Naruto's moment.

--

"Good morning, Naruto-kun." Sarutobi said cheerfully.

"Hey. I'm here about that thing from yesterday." Naruto said while he scratched the back of his head.

"Oh yes, your compensation for stopping Mizuki. How does some new ninja equipment sound?" Sarutobi asked as he held up a bag full of basic ninja gear. "There are shuriken, kunai, some scrolls, a few explosive tags... Please be careful with the explosive tags, Naruto-kun."

"Sure! Thanks for all this stuff." Naruto said cheerfully, a huge smile adorning his face.

"No problem Naruto, it's the least I can do."

"Do I get a headband too?"

"The last class starts in seven minutes." Naruto heard before a few leafs swirled around the room.

"I gotta go, but I'll see ya around." Naruto said as he rushed to the door.

"Naruto, wait." Sarutobi said as the the door opened. "How about I treat you to ramen next time?"

"...That'd be great." Naruto said with a smile.

--

Naruto walked into his old classroom, barely making it on time as the rest of the students talked about finally being genin. "Hey, Naruto. What are you doing here?" Kiba asked as Naruto sat in his usual seat.

"Naruto?" Sasuke asked while glancing at him. "Didn't you fail?"

"No. I'm here for the same reason you're all here, I passed."

"Well then let's see a headband." Kiba said with a smirk as he flicked his own.

"I haven't gotten it yet."

"Yeah, 'cause you haven't passed yet."

"How about I show you how I passed." Naruto said as he got up from his seat.

"I don't know about that Naruto." Kiba said arrogantly. "What can a civilian do?"

"I'll show you want a civilian can do. " Naruto said before he was interrupted by a familiar voice.

"Good morning class; you may call me Rayn-sensei. I'll be your substitute for today." Rayn said. His face was emotionless but he was taking pleasure from Naruto's shocked expression.

"What the hell is this!?" Naruto yelled as he pointed at Rayn. "Why are you here?"

"Huh? You know that guy?" Kiba asked.

"Yeah! He's been stalking me since yesterday!"

"...Our new sensei's a pedophile?" Kiba asked.

"No. I am not a pedophile, nor a stalker." Rayn said calmly. "Naruto, could you come over here for a moment."

"...Why?"

"I need to issue you your headband." Rayn said. Naruto cautiously made his way to Rayn and took the headband before rushing off back to his desk. "Let's continue with team assignments now." Rayn said as he listed the teams and their members.

After Rayn finished naming the teams, Naruto could barely contain his anger. "What the hell!? You didn't even call my name! And who's Aryn and why is he in Sakura-chan's team!?"

"Well... Because we were one kid off from a full team, Aryn was placed in the slot." Rayn said as he motioned to the door. A new genin walked into the classroom and stood beside Rayn.

"Hello." he greeted.

"I'm here now! I deserve that slot!"

"Says the boy who just now got his forehead protector." Rayn dead-panned. "But don't worry, I'll be acting as your sensei for the time being."

"The hell you are! If there's only one spot left, I'm going to get it!" Naruto shouted. "I challenge you to a fight!" he yelled while pointing to Aryn. "Winner gets to be with Sakura-chan; loser goes to the pedophile!"

"You're on!" Aryn said, suddenly getting into the spirit.

"...I am not a pedophile."

--

"Begin!" Rayn yelled, starting the match that would decide it all.

"Rayn-sensei, are you sure this is ok?" Shikamaru asked. "Aren't there procedures for things like this?"

"...Yeah..." Rayn answered. "But someone's ass is getting kicked for calling me a pedophile." he said under his breath.

"This fight will be over in two hits." Naruto bragged. "I hit you, you hit the ground."

"You won't even land a hit."

"Prepare to meet my fist!" Naruto yelled before he ran toward Aryn, jumped in the air, and kicked at his head. Catching it, Aryn spun around and hurled Naruto. He landed safely but was still disoriented when Aryn landed a kick to his mid-section, forcing him to bend forward. Naruto received an elbow to the back of the head and collided with the ground.

"Ow... My head." Naruto complained, his face still in the dirt. As he pushed himself back up, Aryn ran towards him. Blocking a punch to the face, Naruto was met with a kick to the gut that him launched backwards and into a tree. _'How can he be this good? He only looks like he's a year older than me.'_ Naruto thought, frustrated by their differences in skill.

Naruto jumped down and dashed toward Aryn again, determined not to lose the fight. He swung a fist and missed before Aryn kicked him in the side. Continuing his assault, Aryn threw a barrage of punches and kicks before Naruto could recover. Landing one last punch, Aryn kicked Naruto in the face before he went down.

"That was easier than I thought." Aryn mocked as he dusted of his pants.

"...D-Don't run away y-yet..." Naruto said as he slowly got back up.

"...Are you serious?" Aryn asked as he stepped closer to a barely standing Naruto.

"I'll never give up... Even if it kills me!"

"...You're an idiot." Aryn said as he got back into stance.

"Heh... I'm Uzimaki Naruto."(2)

--

(1) The two bodies were already taken care of.

(2)The original fight had a bunch of DBZ crap in it here... I laughed really hard when I reread it.

--

That's all for this chapter, sorry for the drop in length. I really like the cliffhanger though... sorry. Please review and tell me what was good, bad, and whatever. Later.


	3. Just a little training

....You people that are fav-ing/alerting this....... Yeah. Y'all make me feel guilty for not updating..... Which is probably good, seeing as how I have little motivation to write anything I'm not graded on..... Reviews would help though. Anyways, sorry for the huge lack of updating.... I.... really have no excuse.... I'll try and do better..... just not soon.

----------------------------------------

**Warning: Mild text/language.**

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"U!" ----Human Speech

_'Zi!'_ ----Human Thinking

_**'Ma!' **----_Demon Thinking

"**Ki!"** ----Demon Speech

Naruto Rendan ----Jutsu or Seal

"" also emphasized words.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Listen, Naruto." Aryn said. "Just go back down and this'll all be over. I'd rather not turn you into paste..... at least not until I get to know you better."

"I hope you know this fight is far from over." Naruto said as a small circle of dust started to swirl around him. His nails grew slightly longer while his teeth turned into fangs. The wind picked up, making it seem like he was standing in a miniature dust tornado. The Kyuubi container stood in a battle stance, his fangs bared and his eyes fixed on his more experienced opponent.

Aryn glared before gathering up his chakra. _'Fangs, huh?'_ he thought to himself. He suddenly vanished, causing Naruto to go on alert, looking in every possible direction he could think of.

"Where are you Aryn?" Naruto yelled out, not even noticing the chop to his neck before it was too late.

**-----------------------------------------------**

"**Naruto, wake up."**

"....."

"**....Naruto."**

".......K-Kyuubi?" Naruto asked as his eye lids cracked open. He slowly recognized the familiar cold aura the room gave off before realizing he was with the vixen. "Damn.... If I'm here, then that means Aryn won."

"**Well, you did just graduate....." **Kyuubi said before trailing off, not sure how to soothe him.

"...That's no excuse. I need to be stronger." he growled out in frustration.

"**How strong?" **Kyuubi asked.

".......Stronger than I am now." Naruto said with determination in his eyes.

"**Is that it?"** Kyuubi asked with a smirk.

"No."

"**Then tell me. Stronger than who?"**

"Stronger than Aryn. Stronger than Rayn! Stronger than-" Naruto stopped abruptly before looking at the ground.

"**Stronger than who!?"**

"Stronger than you!" he yelled as his head snapped back up, his piercing blue eyes locking onto hers.

"**....."**

".....Uh, I mean...."

"**Let's just worry about making you stronger than you are now."**

".....Right."

_-------------------------------------------_

"Naruto." Rayn said, waking him up. "We should really work on your fighting skills.... because they're crappy."

"Jackass." Naruto mumbled as he stood up and dusted himself off. "Where are we?"

"...."

".....?"

"Anyway, I noticed that you didn't even lay a single hit on Aryn." Rayn said, ignoring his question. "Try and hit me."

_'....A bunch of trees, some logs, a big rock......'_ Naruto listed while he examined the area. _'Where the hell am I? ....Wait, did he just say-'_

"What are you waiting for? Hit me."

"With pleasure." Naruto said as he charged Rayn. Getting in close, Naruto threw a barrage of punches that Rayn easily dodged before receiving a kick to his midsection.

"Oh yeah, we'll also go over your weak taunting skills. I mean, 'Prepare to meet my fist'? What the hell is that about?" Rayn asked as Naruto slowly stood back up. Rayn noticed his student's anger by how quickly he gathered chakra and performed his new favorite technique. Seven clones flanked him as the original charged in. Throwing their arms and kicking out their legs, all the Narutos hit their mark.... Or so they thought until the large multiple 'poof' sounds alerted Naruto that he was next. He ducked and scrambled away as the smoke slowly dissipated before him. "Nice try, Naruto. Now let's work on your taijutsu defense." Rayn said, a dark gleam in his eye. Before Naruto could even get up, Rayn was in front of him. He grabbed Naruto by the collar and yanked him up before hurling him at a tree.

------------------------------------------------

"Aryn.... right?"

"Yeah." he replied. Aryn was sitting with his new team after the incredibly long wait for their new sensei. So far, everyone had introduced themselves.... to a degree.

".....Ok. How about you go next." Kakashi said to the red headed student.

"Sure. You can call me Aryn, I like winning and jokes. My hobbies include ......pretty much whatever. I don't like to be touched. Ever. At all." he said, somewhat mimicking his new teammates' statements.

"....Ok, that's nice."

"......Don't you have a family name?" Sakura asked.

"Well, I guess Aryn is my family name.... if by family name you mean the name we all share." he said. Sakura assumed 'we' meant his family.

"So you have a family then?"

".....Kinda."

"What do you mean "kinda"?"

"It's complicated."

"How-"

"Anyway-" Kakashi cut in.

--------------------------------------

Rayn charged forward before bringing his knee to Naruto's stomach, causing him to lean forward and cough violently before Rayn sent two punches to Naruto's face, knocking him down. Rayn kicked him in the side before he grabbed Naruto's jacket and threw him against a tree. He launched four kunai that embedded themselves into Naruto's jacket, barely missing his skin, and held Naruto up.

Naruto took another elbow to the face as Rayn continued his assault. Another head butt, two kicks, and seven fists to the face later, Naruto was down. _'I can't take anymore of this.'_ he thought. _'Kyuubi, give me some power.'_

"**Kit, you can't handle the kind of power you need to take him out...... Not yet anyway. Besides, technically, I can't give you all of it yet."**

_'WHAT!?'_

Before Naruto could get an answer, Rayn was back. "Well that's good for today. I think I get how much your body can take, and the extent of your healing powers."

"Don't tell me you expect me to believe that this was all a training exercise." Naruto said to the ground, not having the energy to look up and glare.

"Believe what you want. Just be ready for your next training session." he said before he 'left' his student.

_'He's going to pretend to leave and not even help me? What an ass of a teacher.'_ Naruto thought as he tried to get up. Tried, as in attempted to, then failed. _'He didn't even say when to be ready! ....What do we do now?'_ he asked Kyuubi. The next thing Naruto knew, he was standing across from the most powerful demon ever known.

"**What would you like to do?"** she asked him, brandishing a toothy smirk.

Naruto's eyes trailed down her body before snapping back to meet her gaze. "I can think of a few things."

----------------------------------------------

"So Rayn-kun, how goes Naruto's training?" Sarutobi asked as the new sensei arrived.

"Excellent, Hokage-sama." Rayn said with a small bow. "We just had an exercise where I tested his skills and stamina. I hope to start training as soon as possible."

"What will you be doing about his final test? He's going to need to be able to insert himself into any team when you've finished training him. For that, he needs teamwork skills."

"I understand and will have an answer by the next report. Will that be all?"

"You've been a great help, training Naruto and keeping him in your sights." Sarutobi thanked. He received a nod of acknowledgment from Rayn."Just one more thing." the Hokage added. "Now about Aryn-"

--------------------------------

"How about you tell me _why_ you can't give me the power you promised me." Naruto said angrily.

"**....Yeah. You see, I can't because I'm not able to. When I was sealed inside you by the Fourth Hokage, he created a system that let my chakra leak into you while it kept me locked inside."**

"Huh?" Naruto skillfully retorted.

"**Basically, I was sealed into you with three seals.**(#)** One Hakke no Fuuin Shiki and two Shishou Fuuin."** Kyuubi tried to explain.** "The Yondaime used the Hakke no Fuuin Shiki to help seal me into you with the Shiki Fuuin Jutstu and allow the two Shishou Fuuin seals to work."**

"What are the She-shoe things?"

"**The ****Shishou Fuuin**** seals are what's allowing my chakra to flow into you."**

".....Ok. But how does that affect you giving me your power?"

"**It's like this. First we find the seals and systematically destroy them. For each seal you break, you get a tail. Once all the seals are broken, I'll be free and you'll have your power."**

"Oh. Why didn't you just say so? Let's get started." Naruto said as he ripped the seal off the gate.

-------------------------------------------

Small blades of grass quivered and little forest creatures ran from the orange clad boy's quiet body. Rayn's Kage Bunshin felt a small wave of chakra pulsate from Naruto's motionless body. It quickly dispersed itself to inform its maker.

---------------------------------------

"......I see...." Sarutobi said gruffly, a faint trail of smoke coming from his pipe. "If that's what you must do, then I'll allow it."

"Thank y-" Rayn said before the knowledge of what just happened went through his head. "Please excuse me, Hokage-sama. I must go take care of an important matter." he said hurriedly. _"What the hell is that demon planning?"_ Rayn thought to himself.

"In that case....." Sarutobi breathed, taking his time to let go of his guest. "....You're dismissed." Rayn disappeared as soon as those words were out of his mouth. '_Is it just me, or did Rayn-kun decide to use extra chakra?'_ the Hokage thought to himself as the papers that were once stacked neatly on his desk, were now fluttering down to the floor.

-----------------------------------------

"Is that it?" Naruto asked. "'Cause I don't notice anything different."

"**You've just released the Hakke no Fuuin Shiki, Naruto. Now I'm free to leave your body at any time."**

"Then why are we still in here?"

"**Rayn has most likely been informed of a disturbance with your chakra. I can sense him coming already.**

"What do we do? Just wait?"

"**Don't worry, use your new strength to pick yourself up and go home. There's nothing he can prove." **Kyuubi said before sending Naruto back to his own world.

---------------------------------------------------

As Rayn landed on a tree branch a few meters from Naruto's body, he saw Naruto stand and walk off. It was as if their little 'training exercise' had never happened. _'What is going on here?'_ he thought to himself as he decided on shadowing his student.

------------------------------------------

Well...... sorry it took so long for a chapter like this. Later.


	4. Sasuke Uchiha's Team

Woooo! Coffee can really keep me up at night.... But the real motivation for this chapter came from two reviews.... Mikie..... Kyuubi is a girl. Just remember that. And kc, whoever you are, thanks. Although the review was riddled with mistakes, it was one of (if not the) best review I've ever had. Thank you and the rest of the reviewers. It's thanks to all of you that I feel "recharged".

Now enough with the sappy crap. Let's get on with the story!

* * *

**Warning: Mild text/language.**

* * *

"U!" ----Human Speech

_'Zu!'_ ----Human Thinking

_**'Ma!' **----_Demon Thinking

"**Ki!"** ----Demon Speech

Naruto Rendan ----Jutsu or Seal

"" "_blah" _also emphasized words.

* * *

Naruto's nose twitched as a long, furry tail glided over his face. It held a rich red color that seemed to glow when the sunlight hit it just right. The gentle softness of the tail contradicted the enormous strength of the demon that it was attached to. The tail wisped over his face again, barely touching the sleeping ninja's nose. With a light sneeze, Naruto awoke to a giant, red, demonic fox. The animal was so huge that most of its body couldn't even fit into the house, causing Naruto's roof to be lifted from its previous position to the Kyuubi's back.

"**Hello, Naruto...."** Kyuubi said with what could only be described as an extremely toothy grin. The resulting scream could be heard from clear across the village.

* * *

Sasuke Uchiha did not like his team. Aside from the annoying, pink-haired fan-girl, there was some new kid that thought he was the shit, just because he gave a beating to the dead last of their class. Whoa, how impressive. Sasuke knew he could've done that same thing at least three times as fast. Naruto was never what Sasuke would call, "teammate material"..... But then again, who was? The obvious answer was not his current ones. He'd lose his mind and probably betray the village..... or something like that if he was stuck with such a lame team.

* * *

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!" Naruto screamed as he woke up from the horrible dream.

**"Calm down, Naruto, calm down. It was all just a dream."** Kyuubi reassured.

_'Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!'_

"**.... Really, Naruto?"**

"....ahhh?"

"**...."**

"......"

"**.... Ok, now that that's over." **Kyuubi started. **"You don't have to worry about my turning into a physical being problem anymore."**

_'Why not? ....ah.'_

**"Because I have a solution. First off, there will be no turning into a giant demon fox.... at least not now. Secondly, no obvious "I'm the Kyuubi, look at my unique red/orange hair, eyes, and fox-like features" transformations. And last-"**

_'Well what will you change into?'_

**"What?"**

_'If it can't be something like the form you had in the cage, what will it be?'_

**"....Most likely a Henge of someone.... like a Kage no Bunshin of yours."**

_'Wow.... that's a good idea.'_

**"Yes, but anyway-"**

* * *

Sasuke Uchiha did not like his team..... however, he was not an idiot.... obviously. _Slightly_ arrogant? Maybe. But he was not one to let his personality, or lack thereof, cloud his judgment...... usually. When the new substitute he never heard of, brought in a new genin he never heard of, Sasuke just dismissed it as inconsequential. Even after he witnessed the beating Aryn (or whatever his stupid name was) gave Naruto, Sasuke still couldn't care less about the new guy. But now that the new student was on his team, Sasuke had to care. After being informed yesterday that there would be a survival test to determine whether or not they stayed genin, or they got sent back to the academy, Sasuke was determined to make sure what's-his-face was up to snuff. There wasn't a doubt in his mind that he could pass it alone, but if in the off chance that they were grouped together as some sort of all pass or fail thing, at least having one person to rely on would help ease his nerves.

Unfortunately for Sasuke, unlike Sakura, who would follow his every word, Aryn actually had a backbone. "Hey, Aryn." Sasuke started as the boy arrived late to the meeting point..... almost three whole hours late! "Why are you so late?"

"I'm late?" Aryn asked as he looked around the training field. "That's funny, I thought we were supposed to meet Kakashi-sensei here."

"We are..... He just hasn't arrived yet."

"So technically I'm early." Aryn corrected with a smirk.

"......" Sasuke Uchiha was not amused.

"Good morning, students." Kakashi cheerfully supplied as he finally showed up. "Who's ready for the exam?"

"You're late!" Sakura and Aryn yelled out simultaneously. "Hey, where do you get off saying that Aryn? You literally just got here."

"....Way to put me on the spot, Sakura..... Well, I kinda got held up."

"How?"

"Well, my black cat broke its leash and escaped while I was giving it a walk.... and I kinda bumped into an old lady on my way over here.... and I kinda switched around some of Konoha's street signs as a practical joke.... So, yeah."

"......"

"......."

_'.....That bastard.' _Kakashi thought to himself. "....Anyway, back to the exam. You each have a chance to be sent back to the academy and forced to repeat the entire last year."

"Wow, that would suck. How do we avoid it?" Aryn asked.

"Easy, just get one of the two bells that I have in my possession." Kakashi stated simply, motioning to the objects dangling from his belt.

"Dibs!" Aryn yelled out as he charged for the prize that was rightfully his.

"What?" the two remaining genin asked.

"Bell!"

* * *

_'I think that's a great plan.' _Naruto thought-spoke. _'But.... now what?'_

**"Allow me to explain our situation and your powers in better detail. Because you released the Hakke no Fuuin Shiki, I'm able to leave your body at my own free will, but with only slightly higher than 2/5ths of the power I can have at full capacity. After the last two Shishou Fuuin seals are destroyed, I'll have my power and you'll have yours. Right now, with the release of the Hakke no Fuuin Shiki, I can permanently grant you about a tail and a half's worth of chakra to be yours."**

_'So it's like a power-up?'_

**"Exactly, just like in a game."**

_'Ok.... So do we go looking for the other seals to.... 'unlock' more power?'_

**"Not with Rayn around. For now, let's go somewhere to train your powers, and test mine."**

And with that, Naruto climbed out of bed to begin his day of training, all while ignoring the questions coming from different parts of his house asking him why he had stayed in bed screaming for so long.

* * *

"Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!" Aryn yelled as he ran toward the bells and the teacher they were attached to.

In a flash of speed, Kakashi had Aryn pinned down, face in the dirt. "Now, now children. Let's try to act civilized." The young boy's arms and legs flailed out wildly as he tried to escape his imprisonment.

"Calm down Sasuke.... Take deep brea.... err.... never mind." Aryn chuckled as he rubbed the back of his head. "Just watch out for the moles. They can get territorial."

"What!? Aryn, what are you doing, standing where Sasuke was just a second ago!?!" Sakura shouted out while pointing to further show her surprise.

"....Did they not teach this year's genin the **Kawarimi no Jutsu**?"

"....Yeah, well.... You didn't shout out that you were doing it like most ninja do when they use a technique." Sakura offered.

"Yeah, because I'm not an idiot... and besides that, when was the last time you even fought a ninja and they shouted out their plans?"

"Mmmm mmm muggle pharph!" Sasuke shouted through the dirt.

* * *

"**Ok, Naruto. Make about twenty Kage Bunshins and leave the rest to me." **Kyuubi said as Naruto arrived at a nearby training area.

"Ok." Naruto said as he readied himself. Drawing on his newfound chakra, Naruto easily shot out twenty grade A clones. _'What's next?'_ Naruto said as he felt something slip away from inside him.

"What are we gonna do?" a clone asked.

"Yeah, what's up?"

"Maybe we should spar." one clone stated.

_'Kyuubi?'_

_**'Bingo.'**_ the demon thought-spoke back to him.

"Alright, I like his idea. Let's fight! Everyone grab a partner." Naruto said as he made a b-line for Kyuubi.

_**'Let's give him a show.'**_ Kyuubi thought-spoke as she threw a hay maker Naruto's way. Connecting with a kick to the head, she continued her assault with a flurry of punches, jabs, and kicks to the mid-section that ended with Naruto being launched into the air by an uppercut. Naruto regained his ground and did a short four hit combo that was interrupted when Kyuubi appeared behind him with kick to the back that had him kissing the dirt.... hard. It occurred to Naruto that he did have shuriken and that right now might be the best time to use them. What didn't occur was that Kyuubi had them too. After some high speed dodging and too many near-hits, a scratched up Naruto devised a new plan.

"**Kage Bunshin no Jutsu**!" He shouted as all the currently fighting clones stopped to see if they were being called before going back to fighting. The newly summoned clones took to attacking and dog-piling Kyuubi. "Here goes nothin'." Naruto said as he threw a paper bomb tied to a kunai at the massive heap of clones. A huge explosion of smoke knocked Naruto back a foot as he heard his own voice from behind him say, "Two things, never cushion the explosion like that for anyone but yourself, and change it up some. Attack differently based on what you have on your opponent." As Naruto turned to thank Kyuubi for her advice, he received a kick to the face that sent him flying backwards. "Oh, and three; this fight isn't over by the way."

Once Naruto was back up, Kyuubi attacked with another flurry of punches that Naruto was barely able to block off. He countered with a few punches that were all easily dodged and chased Kyuubi over to where one clone had defeated another. Thanks to a quick head movement that Kyuubi barely missed, the clone knew to sneak up on her and attack from behind while she was busy. With that swift kick to the head, Kyuubi poofed away, back to the inside of Naruto.

"**Good job, Naruto. Maybe next time I won't go easy on you. Now about those training exercises."**

* * *

"What!?" Naruto screamed. "Are you insane?"

"**What? All I said was we were going to do some light exercises. No big deal right?"**

"Yes big deal! You're talkin' about walking up walls and running over water like they're ordinary things."

"**They are for ninjas."**

"But with this much weight on?" Naruto wined as he dropped the vest he had purchased from the village's ninja gear shop. A large crack split the ground in two with a large boom. "That's some bull!"

"**....But won't it look cool when you take it off before a fight?"**

_'....Yeah, I guess that would look kinda cool.'_ Naruto finally thought to Kyuubi as villagers continued on with their business while staring at him awkwardly for appearing as though he was having a conversation with himself.

* * *

"As I was saying." Kakashi started after clearing his throat. "Let's do this in a calm and orderly fashion. Now come at me with the intent to kill, or die trying." As he finished, he lifted his foot from Sasuke, who in turn, dashed out before about-facing and charging directly at the jonin.

Sasuke threw several shuriken that were all blocked by Kakashi's kunai. Sasuke began to dash wildly across the field, jumping and throwing all he had. Suddenly, he dove straight for Kakashi. After several kicks and punches, Sasuke was launched back by a surprise attack. He caught himself and landed on his feet just before dashing again. Kakashi fended off Sasuke's attacks but missed Sakura as she dove in behind him and tackled his legs.

Kakashi turned to look at Sakura and was immediately trapped into Sasuke's combo that sent him into the air before Sasuke jumped above him to deliver a heel kick to the back, sending Kakashi crashing down. As the dust cleared, a small burst of chakra was the only alert Sasuke received as Kakashi charged him before issuing a furious sequence of hits that launched Sasuke into a nearby tree. As Kakashi stalked closer, he saw Sakura coming again but failed to see her as the distraction she really was. Aryn darted from the tree above and landed directly on Kakashi's back.

"What the he-" Kakashi started before he was silenced by a direct chakra reinforced headbutt to the face. Aryn quickly made off with the bells as the other two genin retreated with him. In seconds, Kakashi was back up and had an agitated look on the visible part of his face.

* * *

"I don't understand!" Naruto whined as he fell from a metal pole that was partly submerged in water. "Why am I even out here in the middle of some lake?" he shouted angrily.

"**I told you to think your questions! You know Rayn could be, and most likely is, out here watching for something. Don't give him bait Gaki."**(1) Kyuubi said angrily. **"And besides, I told you we were going to train. You have a grasp on the walking on water and climbing vertically exercises. Now we just need to work on combining the two."**

"But do I have to have this massive amount of weight on?" Naruto continued to whine.

"**Yes! Now faster! Mwahahaha!"**

* * *

"....That actually hurt." Kakashi said through gritted teeth as he wiped off some blood from his eyebrow. _'What was that? It felt like being bashed in the face with a steel pipe.'_

"I'm just surprised you were only stunned for a second. A chunin I was sparring with got knocked out cold from that move.... I think he went into a coma."

_'Is that the difference between us and jonin? I couldn't even faze him and Aryn got **both **bells. I was merely some distraction like Sakura was in Aryn's plan.' _Sasuke thought bitterly.

"Oh, and thanks for doing the grunt work Sakura. Sasuke, you could learn a thing or two from her." Aryn said smugly.

"Hey, leave Sasuke-kun alone. I only jumped in because he was fighting."

"And I too jumped into the fight when I saw my teammates needed help. Great example of teamwork, right, Kakashi-sensei?" Aryn said with a grin as he threw the bells to his comrades.

"....Yes. I'd say it was. It seems Aryn grasped the real goal of this assignment; to test your ability to cooperate. You genin are placed in teams for a reason. Some never understand this and are sent back to the academy.... Although I want you all to know you barely pass. Sasuke, you charged at me foolishly without consulting your partners while you were blinded by rage. Do that in a mission and you're as good as dead. Sakura, you too blindly charged at me when you saw that Sasuke was in trouble, although you were trying to save him, you too ignored Aryn who was the reason why you both passed. Aryn..... Kai!" Kakashi said as he dispelled the illusions on the bells Aryn passed to his teammates, showing that they were actually rocks. "Try having some faith in your teammates and not misleading them." Kakashi said as he finished his lecture, poofing away with a wave.

All three genin turned to each other and shared a look of mixed emotions. ".....Well I just wanted to be sure that nothing changed from last year's test." Aryn explained as he tossed the actual bells to Sasuke and Sakura. "No offense guys." he said before walking off.

"....Sasuke-kun, would you like to-"

"No." Sasuke said coldly before walking away.

Sasuke Uchiha **really** hated his team.....

* * *

(1) As far as I know, this means something like brat or kid.

And that's it! Another chapter finally in the books. I truly am sorry about the looong wait for the update. Please review because you could very well be my motivation for the next chapter. Later.


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